How do I make a complaint about a financial service or financial provider?
If you're unhappy with the level of service you're receiving from your bank or any financial service, you must give them the chance to put things right. Find out their complaints process and raise your issue with them directly.
Its a good idea to make your complaint by email or letter, as this will provide you with a clear record of dates and the progression of your complaint. Make your letter or email clear and to the point, set out the problem or issue, the reason you are raising the issue and how you expect them to resolve it. An organisation should supply you with a final response within eight weeks of your initial letter or email (depending on your complaint and what you are complaining about).
Remember the Equality Act 2010 is a law that aims to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to use services. This means that service providers have to make reasonable adjustments to their services to ensure that everyone is able to access them.
A service provider is not allowed to pass on the cost of making a reasonable adjustment to the customer. This means that you should never be asked to pay extra for the adjustments you require. An example of a reasonable adjustment to the service your bank provides would be providing bank statements in your preferred format, such as braille.
If you feel that the organisation has not been able to satisfactorily resolve your issue, you can take the matter further by making a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Further information including how to raise your compliant with the Financial Ombudsman Service and a complaint form can be found on the Financial Ombudsman Service website.
